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Home Health A to Z
Roseola
Roseola is a very common infection that mainly affects babies and toddlers. It usually causes a high temperature and a rash. You can normally look after your child at home and they should recover within a week.
Check if your child has roseola
If your child has roseola, at first they may have:
a sudden high temperature
cold-like symptoms such as a sore throat, runny nose and a cough
loss of appetite
swollen eyelids and swollen glands in their neck
These symptoms last 3 to 5 days, before a rash appears.
The rash:
is made up of pinkish-red spots, patches or bumps
starts on the chest, tummy and back, before spreading to the face, neck and arms
is not usually itchy or uncomfortable
normally fades and disappears within 2 days
Credit:
Most children will only get roseola once.
Not sure if the rash is roseola?
Read more about other rashes in babies and children.
What to do if your child has roseola
You can usually look after your child or baby at home. The infection should pass within a week.
Do
let your child rest if they feel unwell
make sure they drink lots of fluids
give them children's paracetamol or children's ibuprofen if a high temperature makes them feel uncomfortable – check the dose on the bottle
Don’t
do not cover them up in too many clothes or bedclothes
do not give aspirin to under-16s
do not combine ibuprofen and paracetamol, unless a GP tells you to
do not give paracetamol to a child under 2 months
do not give ibuprofen to a child under 3 months or under 5kg
do not give ibuprofen to children with asthma
Urgent advice:
Get an urgent GP appointment or call 111 if your child:
is under 3 months old and has a temperature of 38C or higher
is 3 to 6 months old and has a temperature of 39C or higher
has a high temperature that's lasted for 5 days or longer
is refusing fluids or feeds
is not their usual self and you're worried
has a high temperature that does not come down with paracetamol or ibuprofen
is showing signs of dehydration – such as nappies that are not very wet, sunken eyes, and no tears when they're crying
Important
Speak to a GP if you or your child has a weakened immune system and has had contact with someone with roseola. It can be serious.
Immediate action required:
Call 999 or go to A&E if your child has any of these symptoms:
acting confused, slurred speech or not making sense
blue, pale or blotchy skin, lips or tongue
a rash that does not fade when you roll a glass over it, the same as meningitis
difficulty breathing, breathlessness or breathing very fast
How long to keep your child at home
Roseola is thought to be most contagious when a child has a high temperature.
Once the high temperature has passed you do not need to keep your child away from nursery if they're feeling well enough to attend. There's no need to wait until the rash disappears.
Page last reviewed: 07 January 2020
Next review due: 07 January 2023
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